What Role Do The Warriors Three Play In ‘Thor: Ragnarok’?

**WARNING: There are SPOILERS for ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ in this article. There is dispute over how major or minor these spoilers are, so let’s just that if you don’t want anything spoiled, then come back after you’ve seen the movie.**

During each of the mighty Thor’s adventures over the years, he has always been backed up by his closest friends. Hogun the Grim, Fandral the Dashing, and Volstagg the Valiant have fought side by side with the God of Thunder for years, so naturally as he stares down Hela and the oncoming storm that marks the end of everything as they know it, the Warriors Three will be by his side. But just how will the Asgardians played by Tadanobu Asano, Zachary Levi, and Ray Stevenson get involved in ‘Thor: Ragnarok’? The answer is sure to shock True Believers.

As it turns out, the trio are part of one of the most controversial moments of Taika Waititi’s upcoming Phase Three film. They have finally met their match in the form of Cate Blanchett’s Goddess of Death, who effortlessly murders Fandral and Volstagg before going toe to toe with Hogun and ultimately dispatches him in a most violent fashion. According to Screen Rant, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige defended the beloved characters’ deaths at the ‘Ragnarok’ press junket:

“Well, it was a – they, they had noble ends – mainly to serve the arrival of Hela, the arrival of the biggest villain into the MCU, who within the first five minutes destroys the hammer, kicks Loki and Thor out of Asgard, and kills almost anyone we’ve ever met before in the other movies. Which is really – we want it to start with a bang.”

Without a doubt, this is a shocking turn of events. We’ve seen in the past Thor films how formidable the warriors are, so for Hela to get rid of them so quickly and easily, it certainly establishes that she’s a legitimate threat. But while it makes sense from a storytelling standpoint, that doesn’t make the tremendous loss hurts any less. Although, Feige assures us that they will be remembered. What that means remains to be seen as reports say that their deaths aren’t referenced for the rest of the film (which is somewhat understandable due to the various things Thor has to deal with to stop the nefarious villain), but hopefully, both the fans and the Thunderer are given the proper opportunity to mourn.

How do you feel about the loss of the Warriors Three? Do you think that their deaths will be as impactful as some of the other deaths throughout the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? And how do you think losing Hogun, Fandral, and Volstagg will affect Thor? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments below.

Ben Silverio

Ben F. Silverio received a degree from Drexel University in the Screenwriting and Playwriting Program with a minor in Television Production. While at Drexel, Ben co-founded and co-hosted a film review show called The Pretentious Film Majors, which has evolved into a multi-format form of entertainment including blogs, podcasts on iTunes, articles in the school paper, and a potential tv show. Now armed with an extremely expensive piece of paper, Ben can begin climbing the treacherous ladder of the entertainment industry, which he hopes to do while streaming WWE wrestling matches, reading Marvel comics, and blogging about the excessive amount of movies and tv shows that he watches, all on the iPhone that is permanently attached to his hand.